Former first lady Laura Bush shakes hands with Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi as House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi applaud during a U.S. Congressional Gold Medal presentation ceremony last week in Washington.

Former first lady Laura Bush capped off Wednesday a busy week on the national stage — focused on foreign affairs and women’s issues — by announcing the Bush Institute’s African First Ladies Summit next year in Tanzania.

Bush, speaking Wednesday at another forum in New York aimed at promoting African women’s leadership, said next year’s event in Africa would build upon efforts of the Bush Institute’s women’s initiative in seeking improved educational, health and economic opportunities there.

And Bush praised the several African first ladies gathered at the New York event — hosted by the RAND Corporation — for already taking the “unique opportunity to lead.”

“Thanks to your efforts, more children in your countries are in school, families are learning to lead healthier lives, and communities are benefiting with more citizens in the workforce,” she said. “Because you care, you know there’s much more work to be done.”

The speech and announcement — beyond giving a peek at the Bush Institute’s future programs — highlighted the other half of what’s been a particularly prominent week in the public eye for the Bushes.

The former first lady was one of the select dignitaries to speak at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for Burmese opposition leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi last Wednesday in the Capitol rotunda.

Bush said, as you can watch in a video posted after the jump, that the Burmese leader inspired millions by becoming a “symbol of courage, persistence and defiance – a symbol that integrity was still possible in Burma.”

“As Mandela and Havel demonstrated, vast historical changes often begin in a single mind, a single heart,” said Bush, who’s spotlighted the ongoing struggle in Burma in the Bush Institute’s Freedom Collection. “And the hope that now grows in Burma is a tribute to Daw Suu.”

Then later that day, Bush received the Sewall-Belmont House Museum’s Alice Award, which honors those who are “breaking barriers and setting new precedents for women.” The selection raised the ire of some feminists, although the Washington Post reported there weren’t any signs of discord at the event.

“Just a couple of hours ago, I had the wonderful pleasure of finally meeting Aung San Suu Kyi face-to-face,” Bush said at the event, according to the Post. “I asked her what I should say to you today and she said for me to tell you . . . it’s so important for all of us, as women, to support each other.”

So Pfeifer – whose left leg was amputated above the knee after his vehicle was hit in 2007 by a roadside bomb in Iraq – returned to the competition for wounded veterans this week and won again with a 36-hole score of three over par.

Pfeifer even knocked in an ace Tuesday at Las Colinas Country Club’s Par 3 fourth hole – with former President George W. Bush looking on.

“I didn’t know he was up there at first, otherwise I might’ve had a little bit more nerves hitting that shot,” said Pfeifer, one of 22 wounded veterans participating the contest. “When I saw him up there, I couldn’t believe it.”

The Warrior Open – along with the Warrior 100K mountain biking ride – is one of the signature annual events the Bush Institute’s military service initiative holds to honor the troops and encourage veterans who are using sports in their recovery.

And on Tuesday, Bush – whose institute is also developing a coalition to improve the veterans’ charity landscape – said the tournament was an opportunity to remember the veterans’ sacrifice and celebrate their courage.

“If anybody feels any self pity, all you have to do is look at these unbelievably courageous people,” he said. “There’s no self pity in this crowd.”

The wounded veterans received an extra thrill Tuesday, as golf legend Tom Watson joined Bush in welcoming the participants to the first tee. The eight-time major tournament winner gave some impromptu lessons and inspected several of the golfers’ drivers.

Even Bush tried to pick up a few pointers, asking Watson, “When you’re looking at their drivers, what are you looking for?”

Watson, who also rode the course to watch the day’s action, said he just wanted to show the veterans “my respects for what they’ve done for our country” and added that “it certainly doesn’t surprise me” that Bush would host such an event.

“He understands the sacrifices these people make for our country,” Watson said. “He – like all of us do – appreciate that.”

And there was the competition, too.

While Bush made clear at the Warrior 100K in April that the ride wasn’t actually a race – though competitive juices flowed nonetheless – there was no doubt that those participating in the two-day golf tournament this week were playing to win.

Players yelled at their golf ball, fist-pumped after big putts and followed Bush’s lead in using ample amounts of body English to will their shots in the right direction.

But even with the high stakes – a trophy presented by the former president himself – the veterans rallied around one another.

Retired Army Sgt. Pete Lara, who’s had more than 45 surgeries after several combat wounds, didn’t have his best couple days of golf, but he approached the 18th green with a chance to chip in for birdie. And with Bush again watching in the background, he did just that.

Lara was ecstatic to hole out in front of his former commander in chief. But he was almost more excited to share the moment with his playing partner, retired Army Staff Sgt. James Stanek, who gave Lara a big hug before telling him, “Heckuva time playing with you.”

“This just brings back that feeling of brotherhood, where you belong, that good feeling of being around your brothers,” Lara said later. “That’s what you do, you give a brotherly hug at the end.”

Former president George W. Bush waits to have his picture taken with some of the players in the Bush Institute's Warrior Open golf tournament after a practice round Sunday at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving.

Former President George W. Bush kicked off his namesake institute’s second annual Warrior Open golf tournament Monday in Irving, offering handshakes and friendly banter to the 22 wounded veterans participating in the contest as they walked to the first tee.

“Thank you all for coming out to witness good golf and a celebration of patriotism, courage and sacrifice,” Bush said during brief remarks to open the tournament, held at Las Colinas Country Club.

“I’m looking forward to presenting the trophy to the best golfer,” he continued. “If we had to give a trophy to the best person, everybody’s a winner here.”

Then Bush — not one to wait around, on the golf course or anywhere else — turned to the veterans and said, “Let’s play golf.”

As we explored in this morning’s paper, a major part of the Bush Institute’s military service initiative is an effort to improve the veterans’ charity landscape by creating a coalition to explore best practices and highlight the most effective work.

And the scene at the Warrior Open gave a glimpse of some of those informal connections already made. The USO’s Dallas/Fort Worth chapter, for instance, brought in more than 1,500 active-duty service members from across Texas to take in the tournament and cheer on the wounded warriors.

But the main purpose of the Warrior Open — along with Bush’s annual Warrior 100K mountain bike ride — is the institute’s other goal of honoring the troops and encouraging those who have used sports in their recovery.

Participants, such as retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Nick Bradley of Haslet, emphasized just how important golf was in keeping spirits up.

Bradley, severely wounded in 2008 by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, leaned on golf from the get-go, brushing aside doctors’ orders at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and sneaking off to a makeshift putting green only weeks after the explosion.

A couple months after that, Garrett Knight — the man who first rushed to Bradley’s body after the explosion — visited Bradley at his former home in Alabama and the two started talking golf. Somehow it came up that there was a driving range nearby.

Bradley was still in pretty bad shape, bandages all over. But he and Knight, who taught his friend to play golf before they deployed, went out into a cold rain and hit a bunch of golf balls.

“I couldn’t even straighten out my arm,” said Bradley, who added that he couldn’t imagine where he’d be without golf. “I couldn’t even close my hand. But hey, we we’re out on the range.”

Knight and a strong contingent of Bradley’s friends and family followed the retired Air Force veteran around the Warrior Open course Monday. And even though Bradley struggled on some early holes, he kept smiling and laughing.

My interview with Laura Bush lasted about an hour, meaning we discussed plenty that didn't fit into today's story. So here's some odds and ends — about the Bushes' cancer-fighting initiative, Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, and other topics — that are nonetheless worth checking out.

Hands-on work: Laura Bush said the fact that she, her husband and the travel team physically helped renovated a clinic in Kawbe, Zambia, really seemed to resonate with the local residents.

Oftentimes, these sort of trips focus more on speaking engagements, meetings and other events where the visiting dignitaries are behind a podium or table. So Laura Bush said they were excited to jump into the work.

“Zambians were amazed that George actually worked,” she said. “And he had jeans, and he ended up covered with paint.”

And for what it's worth, George W. Bush said at the institute's book launch later Tuesday that “it doesn't matter what your status in life is, you're never too proud to handle a paint brush.

“I ended up with more paint on me than the wall.”

Side trips: Laura Bush, a former librarian and teacher, spent most of the mornings on the trip visiting area schools, orphanages and other institutions.

And she said the side-trips only further sharpened focus on why additional health improvements are needed. The former first lady explained how some kids are classified as single or double orphans, depending on how many of their parents have died.

“Nobody said they had died of AIDS,” she said. “They could've died of other reasons. But I still think the vast number of orphans in Africa are AIDS orphans.”

But Bush added that there were glimmers of hope from the excursions. She said that one of her personal trip highlights came when a young mother named her healthy newborn daughter, Laura, after visiting with the Bushes.

Egyptian unrest: One the Bush Institute's major women's initiatives is a fellowship program that aims to help women establish a network across different professions and backgrounds.

The first fellowship class launched in March with 14 Egyptian women. And the ongoing civil unrest in that country has added an unforeseen element to the program's inaugural effort.

Laura Bush said some of the developments in Egypt are “worrisome” and that they're keeping close tabs on the situation.

But she also said those challenges further highlight the need to empower women in the Middle East and to include them in the often lengthy and tough process of developing democracies.

“It shows all of us how difficult it is to build the institutions,” she said, before talking specifically about the fellowship class. “These women were so optimistic and so proud that they would say, 'We're free. We're going to have a democracy.'

“Well, it's just that not that easy. You have to have those institutions that help secure your democracy.”

How to help: The U.S. and other Western countries have a long and complicated history in Africa, and institutions such as colonialism and slavery helped create some of the problems that still exist on the continent.

With that in mind, Laura Bush said the key to helping now — without coming across as patronizing — is to work with the countries so they can develop their own strategies to address problems.

She said that lesson was instilled by some of the successes of the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, an initiative launched by her husband in 2003. And it's something the Bushes are hoping to capitalize on with Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon.

“That's the way it works best, if it's the country's strategy,” she said. “They know what they should do to leverage this is to set up their health infrastructure with the help of PEPFAR, knowing it won't go on forever.”

Former president George W. Bush outlined on Tuesday his vision for his post-presidency — and his namesake think tank — saying in a rare hour-long interview with the Hoover Institution that he'd much rather focus on policy than politics.

“I crawled out of the swamp and I'm not crawling back in,” said Bush, who added that while the presidency was “awesome,” he has “no desire for fame and power anymore.”

That sentiment is fast becoming one of the signature elements of Bush's post-White House years, and it's a guiding principle of the Bush Institute, part of the presidential center set to open at SMU next spring.

Given how rare it is for the former president to conduct such a detailed, lengthy interview, it's well worth your time to check out the entire video, which was released on Tuesday.

But I've also pulled out some highlights for your convenience.

Bush on the Rangers: “This is the year. … Game 6 of last year still represents major heartbreak. … I went to the game last night with Nolan Ryan, and it's still painful for both of us to relive the moment.”

Bush on the presidency: “Eight years was awesome. I was famous, and I was powerful. I have no desire for fame and power anymore.”

Bush on why he's staying out of politics: “It's bad for the presidency for former presidents to be bloviating, opining, telling people how it ought to be done.”

Bush on Mitt Romney: “I'm a supporter of Mitt Romney, and I hope he does well. But he can do well without me.”

Bush on gifts from his father, George H.W. Bush: “My dad bequeathed me three great gifts: an awesome name, an unconditional love, no money and being raised, initially in West Texas, and then in other parts of the state.”

Bush on Texans: “A Texan is somebody who's got an attitude that's a little different, it seems like to me. It's a can-do attitude.”

Bush on his reading list: “I'm reading a history of Joe DiMaggio's hit streak. It's good. … We don't have book stands anymore. We've got iPads. I mean, please.”

Former president George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, continued their week-long trip to Africa on Sunday by spending a second day renovating a health clinic in Kabwe, a city located about two hours outside the Zambian capital of Lusaka.

The former president and first lady began Sunday by worshipping at local church and then returned to renovating the Ngungu Health Center, which begin screening, diagnosing and treating women for cervical cancer on Tuesday, according to a dispatch from a Bush Institute spokeswoman.

Former first lady Laura Bush paints a metal door at the Ngungu Health Center on Sunday in Kabwe, Zambia.

That meant another day of manual labor for the Bushes, this time focused on painting and power washing the outside of the clinic. Laura Bush also visited the nearby Julie Anne’s Children’s Home at Robert Shitima School, which serves street children and other disadvantaged youth, and watched students make baskets and hats by hand.

Other highlights captured by photographers included the Bushes handing out treats to local children (below) and Laura Bush visiting with a newborn baby and her mother. The Bush crew also apparently ended the night by roasting marshmallows around a fire.

The Bushes are scheduled to remain in Kabwe until Tuesday, before heading to Gaborone, Botswana on Wednesday. We'll continue to post updates and pictures as they become available.

And to give you a better sense of where this is taking place, I embedded a Google map of Kabwe after the jump. Also, click here to check out all the photos taken by the Bush Institute photographer, Shealah Craighead.

President George W. Bush hands out treats to local children who gathered across the street from the Ngungu Health Center on Sunday in Kabwe, Zambia.

President George W. Bush takes on Sen. John Kerry in their third and final presidential debate of the 2004 campaign.

The George W. Bush Institute has announced it will host a high school debate competition this fall — including a contest specifically for Dallas Independent School District students — as part of its economic growth initiative, the 4% Growth Project.

The institute, the public policy arm of Bush’s presidential center slated to open next spring, is holding the economy-themed debating events on Oct. 20 and 21 in partnership with SMU, the St. Mark’s School of Texas and the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance.

The first day will feature DISD students learning more about debating from likes of Mexican economist Roberto Salinas-Leon and others and then applying that knowledge in competition.

The second day will be part of St. Mark’s annual “Heart of Texas” debate invitational, which draws teams from dozens of public and private high schools across the country. The Bush Institute’s portion of the contest will involve questions related to economic growth and markets.

A couple attention-grabbers: the first day will feature a “prominent keynote address,” although there’s no word on the speaker; and both days of competition will include thousands of dollars in prize money.

George W. Bush shakes hands with a wounded veteran at last year's inaugural Warrior Open golf tournament at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving

The George W. Bush Presidential Center has opened up applications for its second annual Warrior Open golf tournament to be held in the Dallas-area in September.

The 36-hole competition, part of the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative, will feature veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and will help raise awareness about the various organizations that support the troops when they come home.

Much like he did at the institute’s Warrior 100K Bike Ride in April, Bush is expected to play a prominent and personal role in the golf tournament’s activities. The former president, whose presidential center is set to open at SMU next spring, has reflected often on how much he enjoys spending time with veterans.

And as he showed at last year’s Warrior Open, he still knows his way around the links.

Wounded veterans interested in participating in the Warrior Open, slated for Sept. 23-25, must submit an application at www.warrioropen.com by July 16.

To qualify, veterans must: have been seriously injured in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan; be active-duty, retired or honorably discharged; have a verifiable golf handicap index of 20 or less; be able to provide a valid and current Uniform Services Identification Card or separation form DD214; and be able to provide diagnosis certificate completed by a doctor.